"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."
(Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV)
(Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV)
Grateful is one word I can use to describe 2012. My heart is
full of joy and excitement about what God has done in our youth group, Loft,
and in our church, Lakeside Christian Church. I wish I had the words to
describe to you what is in my heart and mind. Honestly, I don’t think I really
know yet. Ending the year is always such a whirlwind in our youth ministry that
I don’t get a lot of time to process and ponder about it until a few weeks into
the New Year. So all I have right now is a grateful excitement!
If I were forced to say something now I would describe it as
a juxtaposition of comfort and thrill. When you hear comfort, what comes to
mind? For me on a snowy cold day like today, it is a warm cup of coffee around
the fire place with my family. You know that deep sense of belonging, safety
and love feel combined with the aromas of crackling wood and fresh brewed
coffee. Comfy yet?
When I say thrill, what comes to mind? The first thing I
thought of was getting on a roller coaster at Cedar Point that I am afraid of
but I am willing to do so I can be with my teens. You know that heaviness in
you chest as the adrenaline begins to pump and you just want to scream as you
hit the hill. The fear quickly subsides as the thrill takes over and instead of
shaking in anticipation you are trembling with the desire to do it all again.
Now combine those two: comfy thrill. Makes absolutely no
sense, but that is how I feel right now as I look back at 2012. I am
overwhelmed with thankfulness at how close I feel to our ministry at Lakeside
Christian Church. Truly it is a place where I fell at home, loved and I belong.
But what brought me more excitement than that this year is how our teens and
our members made so many new people feel like welcomed and like they belong with
us.
The thrill of hearing the teens share their faith each week
in youth group and falling deeper in love with Jesus. Seeing them bring their
friends or text me with questions on how to share Christ with their unbelieving
friends. Getting text messages from teens early in the morning who just can’t
wait till after school to get answers about a Bible passage. Phone calls about
teens needing help with a Bible study they are doing at lunch. Not to mention
Facebook messages, retreats, camp and missions trips.
I believe that our Thanksgiving Eve service was a highlight
as the adults in our church got a chance to hear some of what is going on in
the youth ministry. Our teens began to lead worship in “big church” and are
continually growing and leading others in their passion for Jesus.
If you would have asked me in January of 2003 where I
thought I would be in ministry 10 years later I could not have imagined this.
For me, 2012 was one of the sweetest years of ministry I can remember. There
are memories that I will cherish for a long time. Yet I am not content with
2012, it is just a picture to me of what Jesus can do with our group. How can
we go deeper and farther for Jesus in 2013?
I woke up this morning and read this quote from Pastor Mark
Driscoll “Resolve to follow Jesus & receive a new identity, new
power, a new mind, new community, and new desires. Happy New Year indeed.” If
we all could place this at the top of our 2013 Resolution list, then the sky is
the limit.
Thank you Lord Jesus for your
tremendous blessings in 2012.
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